Prehistoric anthroprogenic wildland burning by hunter-gatherer societies in the temperate regions: A net source, sink, or neutral to the global carbon budget?  Journal Article

/

Abstract excerpt: "There is a need for more intensive multi-disciplinary study of prehistoric "hunter-gatherer" burning patterns in temperate regions. Calilbrnia is presented as a case study to demonstrate how powerful, effective, and widely employed fire was in the native repertoire for directly manipulating the wildland environment. It is highly likely that the magnitude of burning in other temperate regions as well as in California, has been underestimated by anthropologists."      
View Full Article PDF >

Read More

A Tale of Two Fire Syndromes: Recruiters vs. Resisters: Research Brief

/

Chaparral  species  can  be  sorted  into  two   life  history  types:  those  with  dormant  seed   banks  that  germinate  after  fire  and  those   with  very  short-­‐lived  seeds  and these   species survive  fire  by  resprouting.

View Research Brief (PDF) >

Read More

A Shifting Mosaic of Grasslands and Shrublands: Research Brief

/

To  better  understand  vegetation  succession  in  the   Los  Angeles,  California  basin,  modern  aerial   photos  (1980)  were  measured  and  compared  to   older  aerial  photos  (1928  &  1936),  spanning   roughly  50  years  of  vegetation  change.  Through   this  comparison,  the  authors  found  that shrublands  and  grasslands  formed  a  dynamic   mosaic. 
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Fire Suppression Impacts on Postfire Recovery of Sierra Nevada Chaparral Shrublands: USGS Research Brief

/

These researchers did extensive studies of postfire recovery following the 2002 McNally Fire in Sequoia National Forest and compared ancient stands of chaparral with younger stands.
View USGS Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Fire-Driven Alien Plant Invasion in a Fire-Prone Community: USGS Research Brief

/

This study showed that fire-adapted shrublands are vulnerable to changes in fire regime, leading to loss of native diversity and setting the community on a trajectory towards type conversion from a woody to an herbaceous system. 

View USGS Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Prescribed fires do not reduce future area burned in central and southern California: USGS Research Brief

/

Researchers used 29 years of historical fire mapping to quantify the relationship between annual wildfire area and previous fire area in seven California counties to address the question of prescribed fire effectiveness in these counties. 
View USGS Research Brief PDF >

Read More

The Built Environment Is More Influential Than Fuel Breaks in Exposure to Wind-Driven Chaparral Fire: USGS Research Brief

/

A Bayesian Network model was used to evaluate the relative importance of fuel and fuel treatments compared to weather and variables of the built and natural environment on wildfire risk at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in San Diego County. 
View USGS Research Brief PDF > 

Read More

Trees already stressed by drought may be more likely to die from fire: USGS Research Brief

/

A study published in Ecology Letters suggests that the effects of drought and fire work in combination, such that forests experiencing drought will see more dead trees in the aftermath of wildfires.
View USGS Research Brief PDF > 

Read More

Social Constraints to Mitigation in a WUI Community: Research Brief

/

The author examines social perceptions of risk of home ignition in the community of Forest Ranch, which is located in the Sierra-Cascade foothills near Chico in Butte County.

View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Historical Fire-Climate Patterns in Sierra Nevada Foothills and Montane Landscapes: Research Brief

/

These authors utilized annual fire data from the early 20th century to 2010 to evaluate historical changes in fires and the extent to which annual variations in climate were correlated with fires. 
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

The Riskiest Ignition Sources in Southern California: Research Brief

/

This study focuses on reducing fire ignition, specifically on discerning the most destructive ignition sources so that they might be targeted by managers. 
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Resource Objective Wildfires Benefit Forests: Research Brief

/

A 2015 study by Meyer showed that the natural range of variation (NRV) concept and key fire severity indicators could be used to quantitatively evaluate the landscape-scale effects of large wildfires managed for resource objectives.
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Constraints on Mechanical Treatment in the Sierra Nevada: Research Brief

/

The authors evaluated current USFS standards and guidelines, input from forest management practitioners, and geospatial data to develop a hierarchy of biological (i.e., nonproductive forest), legal (i.e., wilderness), operational (i.e., equipment access), and administrative (i.e., sensitive species and riparian areas) constraints on mechanical treatments.
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More

Yikes! An Old-school Wildlife “Experiment” Involving Fire: Research Brief

/

This  1952  study  is  a  questionably  designed   attempt  to  measure  wildlife  survival  during   prescribed  fire.  The  most  dubious  part  of  the   project  involves  burying  live-­‐trapped  animals  in   the  path  of  a  controlled  burn.  
View Research Brief PDF >

Read More